Garage door actuating means



Feb.`l7, 1942. J. R. RICH 2,273,594

,GARAGE DOOR AGTUATING MEANS Filed Oct. 9, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l GARAGE DOOR ACTUATING MEANS Filed Oct. 9, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 John?? Para' Feb. 17, 1942. 1. R. RlcH j 2,273,594

GARAGE DOOR ACTUATNG MEANS Filed Oct. 9, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1mm 7a, 791m www Patented Feb. 17, 1942 UNIT ED STATES PAT E N T OF F I C E GARAGE DOOR ACTUATING1-MEANS John R. "Rich, Houston, Tex. Application October' 9, 1939,-Serial `1\o.298;6'65

' I C1.4 292-277) I f2 Claims.

' lwherein a single bolt is used to effect locking of yboth1 doors.

A fourthimportant-object ofthe invention is to provide a novel arrangement whereby. -the locking device is operated from a conveniently llocated door handlevor knob.

A fifth object of this invention is to lprovide door stopping means engageable with the ground and automaticallyfoperable by the door -manipulating means.

A sixth object of this inventionlresides inthe provision of electrically operable means moving vthe door opening means.

-With the above and other objects in view, the

invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the'ac- 'companying drawings and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the v'several Views, and:

'Figurel is a section of a garage and its doors, the section being taken on a horizontal plane and looking upwardly, with the doors closed.

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure l but with the doors open.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view showing a slide used herein together with certain associated parts including the lock mechanism.

Figure 4 is a detail side elevation of a certain guide member used herein.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view showing a portion of a certain link `and part of the lock actuating mechanism associated therewith.

Figure 6 is a detail section on the line EY-I of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is an edge view of one of the doors and showing parts of the lock actuating mechanism associated therewith.

lFigure 8 .-s an elevation of a portion of the inner face offthe door shown in Figure '7.

Figure 9 isa top view-partially in sectionof a garage showing the doors open and the operable meansthereof connected to a ground engaging stop.

yFigure lO'isl a front view thereof.

f-Figure #1'1 is 'a diagrammatic side view'of the door operating means connected to electrically operable means.`

In the 'embodiment of the invention herein shown there is disclosed a garage II) having a ceiling II. The garage is provided with a double door comprising the individual doors or leaves I2 and I3 which are hinged to door posts I4. Across the top of the door opening extends aflintel |25.

Aguidemember I6 has one end II iiattened and secured to the under-sideof the lintel-I5 at thecenter thereof as by screws I8, This guide member is preferably formed of a length of pipe and atits rear endfcarries an elbow or L-iitting 'I9 which in :turn carries a plate 23 suitable screwed to the ceiling II, the guide member I6 extending at right angles-to the lintel I5. On the guide'member I6 is slidably mounted a short pipe section v2I toftheupper side of which is riveted or otherwise suitably secured a -relatively wide The members 2I, '22 -and 23 form a betweenfthese plates by rivets 21 and Y28. The

lremaining orfront-ends of the links are secured by hinges291tothedoorsfI2 and I3 adjacent the free'edgesthereof and at Athe upper parts of said doors.

Mounted on the under side of the plate 22 is a bracket 30 wherethrough slidably extends a bolt 3| positioned for selective engagement in the holes 32 formed in the rear and front portions of the member I6. On the bolt 3l is a collar 33 wherewith engages one end of a coiled compression spring 34 the other end of which engages the bracket 30 so that the bolt is constantly urged to project into the holes 32. A bell crank lever is pivoted at 'its angle by a pivot 35 and has a short arm 36 engaging the collar 33 on the side opposite the spring. The long arm 36 cf this normally lies parallel to the bolt 3l.

Secured adjacent the free edge of the door I2 is a bracket 31 and through this bracket and the door I2 lextends a shaft 38 carrying on the outer side of the door a handle or knob 39. The shaft passes through the usual escutcheon to provide finish for the door. On the inner end of the shaft 38 is fixed a rock arm 4| to which is connected one end of a wire 42 which has its other end connected to one arm of a lever 43 pivoted intermediate its end to the link adjacent the door |2. A wire 44 has one end connected to the remaining arm of the lever 43, extends around a pulley 45 rotatably mounted on the rivet 28 and has its other end connected to the bell crank arm 35.

In the operation of the invention it will be plain that any movement of the slide on thev guide member I6 will effect simultaneous movement of the doors I2 and I3, the doors opening upon forward movement of the slide and closing upon rearward movement thereof. Consequently, manual opening or closing movement of one door will effect like movement of the other door. If the doors be partially open the bolt 3| will engage against the guide IE but movement of the doors to fully opened or fully closed position will bring the bolt 3| into alinement with a respective' opening 32 and the spring 3d will force the bolt into such opening thus locking the doors in the desired position. To release the doors the handle 39 is turned to swing the arm 4| downwardly. This causes the wire 42 to bias the lever 43 which in turn causes the wire M to bias the bell crank so that the short arm 33 of the latter acts on the collar 33 to retract the bolt 3| which permits movement of the slide.

There has thus been provided a simple and eicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form, proportions and construction of the apparatus herein set forth without departing from the spirit of the invention It is not therefore, desired to confine the invention to the eXact embodiment now disclosed but it is desired to include all embodiments which come within the scope of the appended claims.

In the modified form of this invention as shown by Figures 9 and 10 one of the links, in the present instance, indicated by the numeral 24 is connected to a rocker arm 5i) pivoted to the door as at I and swingably disposed at one end between a frictional engaged stop 52 and lug 52', yand having its free end connected to a cable or other suitable element 53 which in turn is connected to one end of a rocker arm 54 on the spindle of a door knob 55, the opposite end of the rocker arm is connected to a door stop 56 by a chain 51 or other suitable elements. Through the instrumentality of the aforesaid means the rocker arm 5|) will he held against movement by the frictional stop 52 during opening of the doors and, upon reaching their limit of movement the door knob is turned to slacken on the chain 51 whereupon the door stop will engage the ground. Where the door opening mechanism is operated by mechanical or electrical means the rocker arm 5!) will remain in normal position with the stop 5S raised until the doors reach their open or closed limit, whereupon, increased exertion on the rocker arm 50 by the links 24 and 25 will cause the same to rock and thus manipulate the door stop through the connecting means therebetween.

In the form shown by Figure ll of the drawings the slide 22 is connected to an electric or other type of motor M through the instrumentality of a belt 60 or other suitable element passing over pulleys 6|, said electric motor in the present illustration being connected to a source of electricity indicated by the letter E through the provision of a circuit C having a switch S or other controlling means therein.

What is claimed is:

l. In an actuating apparatus for double swinging doors for a garage, a locking device comprising a guide member provided with spaced holes, a tube slidable on the guide member, a wide rectangular plate secured on the top of the tube, a relatively narrow plate secured on the bottom of the tube, said plates being spaced apart to receive actuating links between them, a bracket secured on the underside of the top plate, a bolt slidable through said bracket for selective engagement in the holes of the guide member, yieldable means normally maintaining the bolt projected into one or the other of said holes, a bell crank pivotally mounted on the top plate and engageable with the bolt for actuating the same and meansI for remotely controlling the actuation of the bell crank to move the bolt to released position.

2. In an actuating apparatus for double swinging doors for a garage; a, locking means comprising a guide, a tube slidable on the guide, a relatively wide top plate and a relatively narrow bottom plate Xed to the tube, a bracket secured to one of said plates, a -bolt slidable through the bracket and engageable with the guide, yieldable means normally holding the bolt in said engagement, a bell crank pivoted to one of said plates and having one of its arms in' engagement with the bolt and means connected to the other arm of the bell crank for remotely controlling the same to release, or permit the engagement of, said bolt with the guide.

JOHN R. RICH. 

